Aftermath (2)
"How is it, Ruines? These are the new products...!"
"Whoa."
What Liz had brought was a large box. Inside were swords of every shape and color. True to their claim as new stock, it was obvious that real care had gone into even the scabbards and hilts.
"May I draw one?"
"O-of course...!"
She didn't sound very confident, but I trusted Liz—the village blacksmith—and pulled out one of the blades.
Shrring!
"Oh?"
It made a better sound than I'd expected. It still couldn't compare to drawing Hildegard's sword, but it was far superior to the blunt, worn-out weapons I'd used in my previous life. Wielding something like this back then would have gotten me beaten by my seniors and stripped of it in no time.
Well, those old grievances could stay buried. I examined the various swords with rising excitement and asked, "What do you think, Melissa?"
"Let's see the others as well."
"Ah, yes."
Melissa was watching the blades with a hawk's eye. Perhaps they fell short of a knight's standards? Unlike me, who was thrilled just to hold them, she had kept her brows furrowed and her words sparse from the start. Seeing her reaction made Liz fidget anxiously, and before long I too felt the tension as I continued choosing.
Three swords in the box remained undrawn. I was about to carefully select one when—
"Ruines?"
"Yes?"
"Even now, it will be necessary."
"??"
I blinked at her stupidly, not understanding. Then, internally, I went Ah! as realization hit me late.
"I see. Just a moment."
"What's wrong, Ruines? ...The swords aren't to your liking after all?"
"Ah, it's not that."
Hummmm!
I closed my eyes and focused my Gigaam. The swords lay before a flustered Liz, but sadly I sensed nothing noteworthy from her creations. I felt bad for the thought, yet they felt no different from ordinary stones. Instead, a faint energy drew my attention from deeper inside the forge—the area Liz had stepped in and out of.
"Liz?"
"Yes?"
"Would it be all right if I looked inside the forge? Something keeps bothering me."
"......!"
Liz flinched. She let out a sigh, then spoke as though resigning herself. "It's not really anything worth showing."
"Then excuse me."
"......"
"Ugh."
Not only me—Melissa followed me into the forge. The air was thick with fierce heat, as if forging had only just stopped. Yet what caught the eye more than the temperature was...
"Why are they all broken swords?"
"Indeed. In terms of blade completion, these seem far better."
"That's right. That's why...!"
Liz's face crumpled as she explained. "Lately it's become harder and harder to get good-quality iron ore... But if I try to follow my master's methods, the swords can't endure the process."
"Then the ones displayed outside?"
"T-those are... I mixed as much wrought iron and cheap scrap as possible just to make them look decent......"
"I see. Still, they weren't bad at all, you know?"
"Compared to the 'real' blades my master made, they're nowhere close.... I'm sorry, Rui."
"No need to apologize."
So that was the situation. Out of curiosity I picked up a fragment of one broken blade. It certainly felt sharper and more solid than the ones outside. And above all—
Hummmm!
When I focused my Gigaam, I caught the faint trace of blue energy within it. If even a shard could hold mana like this, how much effort had gone into its creation? I glanced at Melissa. She gave a quiet nod.
"You're walking a difficult path."
"......I was my master's only disciple. She had no children. I want to carry on her will as much as I can."
It felt as though the techniques she'd inherited were slowly devouring Liz. She could have mass-produced simpler blades and still made a living. After thinking it over, I decided to make her an offer.
"Liz."
"Yes?"
"If you had high-quality iron ore, could you make swords you'd actually be satisfied with?"
"W-well? It would be better than now, but with how things are......"
"It's fine. I just received a rather generous amount."
I pulled the pouch of gold coins from my chest and grinned. Liz simply stared with wide eyes, blinking rapidly.
"??"
"Haa."
Melissa sighed, then offered a faint smile. She uncrossed her arms and headed for the shop entrance.
"Finding good merchandise is as difficult as finding good people. Let's not waste time."
"Yes. I'll be right back with the ore, Liz."
"Huh? Ehh? Wait, hold on......"
Liz babbled, clearly lost. I waved to tell her not to worry. Only then did she press her lips together firmly.
"I'll be back!"
"U-um."
Her cheeks were flushed rosy—whether from the forge's heat or something else, I couldn't tell.
A short while later, Melissa and I arrived at the village market street. Piren Village was a lively hub where merchants of every kind came and went, centered around the Ribein Merchant Guild. Thanks to that, Iselia was regarded as the village's true owner.
"Where should we go to find ore?"
"Probably over there... No, Sir Ruines."
"Yes?"
"Try it with the same feeling as before."
"Ah."
She meant the moment I'd spread my Gigaam and sensed Liz's unfinished weapons. But unlike the enclosed forge, the market was wide open and overflowing with people and goods. I wasn't sure I could spread my senses properly here.
"Hmm. It might be difficult. I'll still try."
"Mindset matters in everything."
"Yes."
If Hildegard was my instructor in knighthood, Melissa felt like a teacher for life itself. Since our first meeting we'd grown fairly close and spoken about many things.
I closed my eyes, raised my Gigaam to its limit, and—
Shzzzzz!
—released it outward like a single rippling wave.
I was searching for minerals. Every material possesses its own unique character, and Gigaam could read those traits to a degree. Living things felt warm and soft. They moved, too. Objects and tools, however, felt cold and rigid, making them comparatively easier to sense.
But only if there are just a few of them.
I concentrated with everything I had. I gathered the information flowing through my Gigaam and tried to paint a mental picture: vegetables, spices, piles of grain, dried fish, jewels, clothing, shoes, accessories, armor, swords, swords, swords, swords......
Slap!
I smacked both cheeks with my palms, then took several deep breaths to steady myself.
"Why did you do that?"
"No reason. I got too caught up in the swords for a second."
"I see. Since the whole reason we're seeking ore is for swords, it may have influenced your mental image."
"Gigaam really is difficult."
"Of course. It's only natural—such a rare ability. Even I cannot wield it as you do."
"I-is that so."
"It is."
My face grew hot at Melissa's praise. Since I couldn't use aura, Gigaam was the only tool I had. Hearing her acknowledge it made me purely, genuinely happy.
"Then I'll try again."
"We have time. Concentrate at your own pace."
"Yes."
Once more I closed my eyes and focused. I sought minerals. After spreading my Gigaam wide, I filtered out people and animals. What remained were countless objects, each with distinct traits.
"Ah."
I found it. I strode forward exactly as my senses directed. I could feel Melissa's curiosity trailing behind me.
Wait—could this be thanks to Gigaam too? When I concentrated, could I also read the emotions of others to some degree...? Of course, even without it one could guess feelings from tone and behavior. Anyway, I'd think about it later.
Today our purpose was ore. I set stray thoughts aside and slowly approached the merchants whose stalls my Gigaam marked as mineral sellers.
However—
"This is all the iron ore I have."
"......Pardon?"
The first merchant showed only obviously inferior stones—rusted, cracked, worthless. The second was the same.
"Ore supply has been poor lately. I heard the nearby mines ran into trouble?"
"......"
The other merchants were no different. They peddled junk or outright fakes. No matter how thoroughly we searched the market, quality ore was nowhere to be found.
"So it really is difficult to obtain."
"I was surprised as well. I hadn't realized it was this scarce."
Then a merchant who had been listening to us quietly offered a tip.
"If you're looking for minerals, go see Janice."
"Janice?"
"Yeah. Over there."
The place he pointed to held a cute girl with a soot-stained face calling out to customers. Her smiling face naturally inspired goodwill—whether for business or not. As we drew closer, I saw not only minerals but also a dazzling array of jewels.
"Oh my, what cute and gallant customers. Welcome."
Janice greeted us with a bright, cheerful smile. Melissa gave a silent nod. I relaxed a little and answered with a smile of my own.
"I'd like to buy some iron ore."
"Really? These have been quite difficult to get lately."
Janice's golden eyes sparkled. She soon placed a large pouch on the stall in front of her.